Butterscotch Sugar Cookies

These are my all-time favorite cut-out cookies. The butterscotch chips add such a delicious flavor! The only HUGE downside is that I haven't been able to find nut-safe butterscotch chips, so I haven't been able to make this in years. But so long as you're not dealing with nut allergies, I'd give this one a go as it's such an improvement over plain sugar cookies! I got this recipe from my mom; I think it was originally from Land O Lakes butter.

Ingredients:

1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

Add all ingredients besides the chips to a large mixing bowl.

Place chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring well after each 20 seconds. Remove as soon as they are about half melted...they'll finish melting as you stir them (if they don't, but back in for 10 more seconds and try again). Pour into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients (use a rubber spatula to get it all out).

Beat on low speed for about 2 minutes until well-combined.

Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm (1 or 2 hours)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8" thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Place about 1" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake approximately 6-7 minutes (really will vary depending on how thin you rolled the dough...usually takes me a bit longer) until the cookies are lightly browned on the edges.

As with any rolled cookie dough, the dough gets tougher the more times you re-roll it, so try to make the most of each roll, placing cookie cutters close together. Of course, if you're making this with kids, you're probably out of luck on that front :)

Once the cookies have cooled, you can decorate them however you'd like.

For the frosting, I just use a basic buttercream icing:

Ingredients:

Half a stick of butter, softened (room temp, NOT melted!!)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk

Directions:

Mix it all up with a mixer until smooth. If it's too thick, add a little more milk. If it's too thin, add a little more sugar. I usually end up going back and forth between the two a few times before I get it perfect.

Divide it into different bowls and use food coloring to tint it whatever colors you'd like.